6/23/2023–Digital Innovators Request an Opt-In from FTC for Further Discussion on the Negative Option Rule
(Washington, DC—6/23/2023) Today, ACT | The App Association submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on the highly-contested Negative Option Rule.The letter stated: “We write to share our views about the role of subscriptions in the digital economy, and to express our concerns with aspects of the FTC’s proposed regulatory updates, which would create new challenges to our growth and for the consumers who rely on our innovations, without public benefit.”The App Association requested FTC before updating the Negative [...]
AI Policy Needs Small Business Insight
As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves at an unprecedented pace, policymakers are actively engaging with tech industry giants to understand and regulate AI. Over the past couple of weeks, bipartisan leaders in Congress privately hosted a dinner with OpenAI’s CEO, who subsequently made waves in congressional testimony the following day, calling for robust regulation of super-intelligent AIs. This followed a meeting at the White House led by Vice President Harris with executives from tech giants to discuss AI’s potential impact on [...]
Is it Getting STEAM-Y in Here, or is it Just Our Future Workforce: Part 2 – LGBTQIA+ Inclusion
ACT | The App Association members are innovative small businesses and enterprises transforming how we live, work, and play through apps and connected technology. They’re leading the next generation of trailblazers working to solve problems and fill gaps across industries. For our members to continue improving the lives of their customers and clients through safe, secure products, public and private sectors together must invest in our future workforce through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and science, technology, engineering, arts, [...]
The Antitrust Bills’ Assault on Accessibility
The misguided antitrust bills targeted at online marketplaces—American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA) and Open App Markets Act (OAMA)—haven’t been reintroduced yet but are still lurking in the shadows of the 118th Congress. As we’ve pointed out, the costs small business developers would bear if either of the bills were enacted include the loss of some of the most basic consumer protection features consumers and developers rely on in the app economy to preserve privacy and protect intellectual property. [...]
Privacy is the Scaffolding that Builds the Digital Economy
Members of ACT | the App Association have been advocating for a national privacy framework for years, and as the national conversation around health data evolves, that framework becomes more important than ever. The App Association represents an ecosystem valued at approximately $1.8 trillion—which supports 6 million American jobs. All of these businesses and workers would benefit from a comprehensive privacy framework. As the House Energy and Commerce Committee continues examining the privacy risks and the vast benefits for activities [...]